New Band Love: Queen Caveat

Well, I’ve seen Queen Caveat several times over the last year, and every time they just get better and better. After last night’s show at The Hotel Cafe, I realized I simply must inform the masses. Unfortunately, I don’t have much to share with you as far as music or upcoming shows. With a recent name change (they used to be StolenPlayer), only 30 or so myspace friends, and their first EP still in the works, Queen Caveat is what one may term a baby band.  They are, however, poised to take over the world. There really is nothing to not like about this band. Amazing energy, fantastic vocals, mesmerizing tunes, stellar guitar riffs, bassist with a killer smile, etc. etc. etc.

If you want a sound alike, I’d probably have to go with one of my very favorite bands, Nico Vega….female singer, similar sound. The comparison is especially obvious when the drummer for Nico Vega plays with them (if you look closely at the respective line-ups, you’ll notice how they are related).

At any rate, I’m sure I’ll be talking more about them in the future. Look out for their shows on my calendar…they are not to be missed!

Beware the Queen!

~ Kristen

p.s. The other two bands I saw at The Hotel Cafe last night were also fabulous. Armada and Travis Warren (formally of Blind Melon)…two acts that are really worth checking out and are definately going on my list!

Kristen’s Concert Calendar: 5/31-6/6

Honestly I still feel like it should be March. The last two months were so incredibly busy, they just flew right by. And now, all of a sudden, I’m facing end of quarter deadlines and am freaking out juuuust a tad. And looking at my June calendar it seems that this month won’t be any less busy. We’ve actually got some very exciting things coming up for the website, so stay tuned for that. But in the meantime, let’s get this month started off right with a great line-up of music.

Here are my suggestions:

 Monday: War Tapes at Silverlake Lounge (11pm)
ALSO: The Like FREE at The Echo (10pm)
ALSO: School Night at Bardot in Hollywood featuring Sonos, Madi Diaz, and Miike Snow DJ Set…FREE but rsvp only (http://www.itsaschoolnight.com/rsvp1.html)

 Tuesday: Samantha Crain and First Aid Kit at Bootleg (9:30)
ALSO: Honeyhoney at Spaceland (9pm) 
ALSO: Matthew Jordan at Ivan Kane’s Cafe Was (two sets starting at 7pm and 8:30)

Weds: Ashes Divide at The Viper Room (11pm)…the beginning of an exciting month-long residency
ALSO: Hot Hot Heat at Bootleg (10:30)…another residency…seems likes Weds is the busy day this month… 

Thursday: Hear NoHo (8pm)… http://www.hearnoho.com/
ALSO
: Mumford & Sons at The Music Box (8pm)
ALSO: Curtis Peoples at The Hotel Cafe (10pm)
ALSO: Watkins Family Hour at Largo at the Coronet (8:30)
ALSO: Lex Land at Bootleg (10pm)
ALSO: Fitz and the Tantrums at Spaceland (10pm) 

Friday: Mumford & Sons at The Music Box (8pm)
ALSO: Don McCloskey at The Hotel Cafe (11pm) 

Saturday: Keaton Simons at The Hotel Cafe (10pm)
ALSO: Balloon and Wine Festival in Temecula featuring music by Keaton Simons, The Gin Blossoms and Vertical Horizon (3:30, 5, 7) 

Sunday: Mumford & Sons and The Silent Comedy at Belly Up (SD)

To Keep in Mind:

June 10-13th: BONNAROO (in Tennessee)
June 13th: Beth Hart and Garrison Starr at The Echoplex
June 25th: Warped Tour in LA
June 25th: The Rescues CD Release at The Troubadour
June 21st: Carney at The Troubadour
June 21st: Gaslight Anthem at El Rey
July 7th: Carbon Leaf at The Troubadour
July 8th: Michelle Branch at Greek Theater
July 10th: Lilith Fair
July 18th: The Swell Season and Bird and the Bee at Hollywood Bowl
July 30-31st: Morceeba at Hollywood Bowl
August 12th: Semi Precious Weapons at Staples Center (with Lady GaGa)
September 25th: Band of Horses at Greek Theater
September 25th: Muse at Staples Center

~ Kristen

Truth & Salvage Co. full length CD out TODAY!

It’s Tuesday. You music lovers know what that means. This Tuesday is particularly important as one of my fave LA bands has their first full length CD available. Truth & Salvage Co. has been on my must see list for awhile now. They put on one of the most enjoyable live shows and now, their music can be brought to you, wherever you are.  Their self-titled album is available on ITunes and in select stores. Their official CD release party is in Ashville, North Carolina tonight at The Grey Eagle. If you’re lucky enough to live close by, go celebrate with the band for me! I, for one, am participating in the Storming the Amoeba event and will be dropping by the Hollywood location later this evening to pick up my copy.  

Check it out before you buy it on AOL’s listening party.

And please, please, please, do yourself a favor and go see their live show. They are touring all over the country. Check to see if they’re coming to a town near you:

May 25, 2010 – Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle (CD RELEASE SHOW)
May 26, 2010 – Charleston, SC @ The Pour House
May 27, 2010 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
May 28, 2010 – Athens, GA @ 40 Watt Club
May 29, 2010 – Birmingham, AL @ Workplay Theatre
May 30, 2010 – Little Rock, AR @ Little Rock Riverfest
June 3, 2010 – Nashville, TN @ 3rd & Lindsley 
June 5, 2010 – Ozark, AR @ Wakarusa
June 6, 2010 – Dallas, TX @ Cambridge Room at HOB
June 7, 2010 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s BBQ
June 8, 2010 – Houston, TX @ Bronze Peacock @ HOB
June 9, 2010 – Baton Rouge, LA @ Chelsea’s Café
June 11, 2010 – Oxford, MS @ Proud Larry’s
June 12, 2010 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo
June 15, 2010 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird Cafe
June 16, 2010 – Washington, DC @ DC9
June 17, 2010 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
June 18, 2010 – Philadelphia, PA @ North Star Bar 
June 19, 2010 – New York, NY @ Piano’s
June 20, 2010 – Northampton, MA  @ Iron Horse Music Hall
June 22, 2010 – Syracuse, NY  @ Westcott Theatre
June 23, 2010 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
June 24, 2010 – Pontiac, MI @ Pike Room
June 24, 2010 – Pontiac, MI @ Pike Room
June 30, 2010 – Saratoga, CA @ Mountain Winery
July 1, 2010 – San Francisco, CA @ Cafe Du Nord
July 2, 2010 – Jacksonville, OR @ Britt Pavilion
July 3, 2010 – Quincy, CA @ High Sierra Music Festival
July 4, 2010 – Reno, NV @ Aces Ballpark
July 5, 2010 – Crystal Bay, NV @ Crystal Bay Club
September 4, 2010 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks
December 10, 2010 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint
December 11, 2010 – Hollywood, CA @ Hollywood Palladium

Enjoy the new music!

~ Kristen

In Philadelphia tonight?

I am! If you are too, you’d best be purchasing your tickets to the WCL tonight (Saturday). Jealousy Curve is putting on their last show. Last chance to get your faces melted right off…seriously the combination of sweat and tears will surely make it look like I’m melting. If you see a puddle on the floor, kindly step around.

Also playing: IKE, The Shakers, and Camille Beruto. Starts at 7pm. World Cafe Live. Philadelphia. The place to be tonight! Hope you can join me…

~ Kristen

Kristen’s Concert Calendar: 5/17-5/23

Last week was a very emotional week of beginnings and endings…and many goodbyes. On the music front, one of my favorite bands, Jealousy Curve, officially announced that they were going to end their run as a band. Their last show will be their record release next Saturday in Philadelphia at World Cafe Live. (yes I will be there). Carney’s record release show Saturday in Los Angeles at The El Rey signified the exact opposite; the beginning of a successful and (hopefully) very long career. Watching the guys be escorted from the back to the signing table where we all had to wait in line to get our CDs signed and say our hellos really made me realize how far the band has come since I saw them play every week at Molly Malone’s. The entire set was a bit emotional for me. I was at once immensely grateful for having such an amazing band be a part of my life for the last couple of years and incredibly sad that they were leaving Los Angeles and I would not be seeing them play again anytime soon.

But such is life. Really it just gives me more time and energy to discover amazing new bands to enrich and fulfill my life, right? Well, that’s what I’m telling myself anyway.

Here are the bands and musicians I’m looking at this week to potentially take up the mantel of “new favorite band” and help fill the massive void  in both my concert calendar and my heart left by the breaking up of Jealousy Curve and year-long departure of Carney:

Monday: Filthy Souls at 14 Below in Santa Monica (8pm)
ALSO: The Like FREE at The Echo (10pm)
ALSO: Wartapes at Silverlake Lounge (11pm)
ALSO: MusiCares Nashville Flood Relief Fund Benefit at The Hotel Cafe (9pm)…line up TBA
ALSO: Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 (9pm) 

Tuesday: Nina Storey at The Hotel Cafe (8pm)

Weds: Queen Caveat at The Viper Room (10:45)
ALSO: Beachwood Rockers’ Society at Crane’s 

Thursday: Shout Out Louds at The El Rey (8pm)
ALSO: Glee Live at Gibson Amphitheater (8pm)
ALSO: Terra Naomi at The Hotel Cafe (8pm) 

Friday: Glee Live at Gibson Amphitheater (8pm)
ALSO: The National at The Wiltern (8pm)
ALSO: OK GO at The Musicbox (8pm)
ALSO: Far at The Troubadour (10pm)
ALSO: Lelia Broussard at Room 5 (7pm)
ALSO: Shout Out Louds at The El Rey (8pm)
ALSO: Vienna Teng & Alex Wong and Sara Watkins at McCabe’s (8pm) 

Saturday: The National at The Wiltern (8pm)
ALSO: Glee Live at Gibson Amphitheater (8pm)
ALSO: The Real Sunset Strip On the Rox with Terra Incognita (9pm)
***if you happen to be in the Philadelphia area, you’d better join me at World Cafe Live to witness the last performance of Jealousy Curve…also playing IKE, Camille Peruto, and LA’s own The Shakers! 

Sunday: Frightened Rabbit at The Musicbox (8pm)
ALSO: Lelia Broussard at Saint Rocke (7pm) 

To Keep in Mind:
May 28th: The Silent Comedy and Dirty Sweet at North Park Theater (in SD)
June1st: First Aid Kit at Bootleg
June 3rd: Mumford & Sons at The Music Box
June 6th: Mumford & Sons with The Silent Comedy at BellyUp (in SD)
June 10-13th: BONNAROO
June 25th: Warped Tour in LA
July 10th: Lilith Fair

~ Kristen